Who They Are

Essential Assessment is a leading provider of a unique Australian Curriculum, Victorian Curriculum and NSW Syllabus Numeracy and Literacy assessment model that delivers a whole school approach to formative and summative assessment for Australian schools.

Essential Assessment provides full access for every staff member to our online assessment program, access to hundreds of Australian Curriculum, Victorian Curriculum and NSW Syllabus assessments and an endless supply of Australian Curriculum worksheets.

A smart and differentiated assessment and curriculum model that diagnostically assesses each student and provides them with aligned curriculum to grow each students’ knowledge from their current understanding.

Trusted assessment and curriculum provider with over 500 satisfied schools around Australia using Essential Assessment!

Have you seen the workshop agenda for #TechInAction? We’re catering for F-6 teachers and students! We also have some high schools on board:) Come and see how digital technologies can be used as a tool to enhance student learning across all curriculum areas. Don’t miss this amazing opportunity for teachers and students run by teachers and students.

Below is a list of the workshops that will be presented at #TechInAction on Tuesday the 21st of August. We have linked each workshop to the Vic Curriculum and VIT standards, as well as explained who the workshops are suited to!

#TechInAction is so excited to announce that we will have some REAL GOOGLERS at the event. That’s right. Google (Melbourne Office) will be sending some representatives to support the #TechInAction. Watch this space to see how they will be involved on the day!

Remeber back in 2015 when I held my ‘GAFE in Action’ Day? Well, guess what? This year I’m working with staff and students to showcase something bigger and better!

Are you a GAFE (Google Apps for Education) school? Are you interested in GAFE? Are you currently in the process of adopting GAFE? Or do you have absolutely no idea about GAFE and really want to learn about it?

Heard about STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) and wondering how you can implement all of these elements within your Curriculum?? Or do you just want an amazing learning opportunity to see how successful technology tools can be used from K-12? If so, then this is an opportunity for you and your students.

St Thomas More is a Catholic Primary School located in the heart of Hadfield. Here at St Thomas More, we have been using GAFE for almost 8 years and it has changed the way we collaborate, assess and communicate with students, parents, and colleagues. We would love to share our journey and experiences with you because sharing and learning is what teaching and learning are all about.

We were recently featured in the Catholic Education Office Melbourne ‘Director’s eNews Vol. 8, No. 2 – 23 February 2018 for the amazing work our students have been doing. Students have been building APPS to make a difference in the world and the local community. Read more here.

Most professional development days only involve teachers… And that’s about it. We want to give our teachers and students the opportunity to showcase their learning and show you and your students how GAFE and other digital technology platforms have changed their learning experiences. Schools are a place for kids right? So why not get them involved?

We’re working together with Google and Source Central to put together this fantastic event. You’ll get to see TECH in Action! This event will be run by the students and teachers of St Thomas More Primary School, the Source Central Technical Support Team, and you’ll possibly get to meet some real Googlers too! Teachers and students will run practical workshops throughout the day. You’ll have the opportunity to decide which workshops you want to attend. We want to show you how to use GAFE and other Digital Technology tools in a practical way. You’ll learn about the many ways you can use the G-Suite Apps, Coding platforms and robots, App creation tools across the curriculum and most importantly, how to have fun!

Come along and see how we use Digital Technologies in the classroom in an efficient and easy to manage way. You’ll also hear about our journey, and how we got to where we are today. Come and experience our ‘whole school approach,’ and see why St Thomas More has been so successful in using Digital Technologies to enhance student outcomes.

I recently heard Dr Jordan Nguyen speak at a PD I attended. All I can say is that he was extremely inspirational! I’m going to use what I learned from him to drive the 5/6 Inquiry unit in a direction I never imagined! This unit will focus on STEAM and we’ll be looking at how Digital Technologies can change the world and make a difference to lives. Children need to understand that Digital Technologies isn’t just about ‘coding’ and building/playing games. There’s so much more to be learned. It’s about using these tools and skills to actually make a difference.

The aim will be to get students to work in teams (just like they would be expected to in the real world!) They’ll have a project on their hands that will require them to design something that could potentially change lives. The image to the right explains some of the roles students will take on.

I’m also working on teaming up with Source Central Partners and some of the guys from Google to showcase how we use Digital Technologies at St Thomas More. The GAFE in Action day was so successful in 2015, we want to take it to the next level! The aim is to have kids showing off what they’ve learned through this Inquiry. They’ll be marketing the event with us too! Watch this space. I’ll share the journey and experiences with you. I don’t to give too much away just yet:)

Next week, I will be holding a coding Curriculum day with my staff and I’m ready to have questions fired at me!

why is coding important?

why should we have to teach it?

how can I teach the kids if I don’t know how to code?

You all know what I’m talking about… Right? Answering their questions with, “It’s in the curriculum and you have to,” just won’t cut it! I want to provide teachers with some evidence. They need to be able to see the reality. Coding is becoming part of everyday life. We’re teaching kids and trying to prepare them for jobs that don’t even exist yet.

Just thought it was a valuable article to share with all you other techs. Happy reading:)